Jesus Christ longs for you and me to have a relationship with Him, NOT a religion about Him. Jesus came to save that which was lost … and without the saving grace of Jesus, we are destined for hell. If you were to ask Jesus Christ what His religion is, what might He say?
If you were to ask most folks here in America what their ‘religion’ is, the average answer would most likely be ‘Christianity.’ Some might even answer ‘none.’
God’s Word distinguishes between ‘religion’ and ‘pure religion.’ James 1:26-27 – “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”The word ‘Christian’ means ‘little Christ.’ God created us in His image and His Word tells us to be like Christ … unspotted from the world. We cannot be like Christ unless we abide in Him.
1John 2:6 - “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
How do we abide in Him? Galatians 2:20 - “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (See also John 15:2-5)
Webster defines ‘religion’ as “the service and worship of God or the supernatural.” Religion can worship anyone or anything. Webster defines ‘relationship’ as "the state of being related; kinship; a state of affairs existing between those having relations or dealings." But when you’ve got the God of the Universe defining Who He is, who needs Webster?
Jesus never identified as a “Catholic,” a “Baptist” a “Mormon” or a “Methodist” (or any religion). But He did identify as:
“I am”
John 8:58 – “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
“The Word / God” John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
“One with the Father” John 10:30 – “I and my Father are one.” [Trinity=God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. Godhead incarnate in Christ.]
“Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" - Isaiah 9:6
The gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, teaches about the birth of Jesus, saying the angels called Him “a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” The first chapter of the gospel of Matthew teaches us the angel of the Lord appeared and declared that Mary’s baby JESUS is 'God with us.' [He who hath ears to hear, let him hear!]
Matthew 1:23 – “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
If you don’t believe Jesus was God (God the Son), you don’t believe God’s Word.
1John 4:15 - “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
The term "Son of God" means God the Father became flesh as God the Son; vastly different than a human birthing a son; it is supernatural. A virgin giving birth ... supernatural. A King was born, yet in a lowly manger in a barn instead of a palace. Again, John 10:30 - "I and my Father are one." How many other babies born 2,000 years ago are we still talking about, much less worshipping? Why is that?
You can believe the Bible ... whether you understand it or not, it is true. Jesus is God. The whole miracle of it all is that God humbled Himself, became human flesh through immaculate conception of a virgin, lived a sinless life, suffered and died for the sins of mankind, was buried and rose again the third day to conquer sin and death. If you don’t understand that, you are missing the whole sacrifice, the whole miracle, the whole plan of salvation … and you certainly don’t know Jesus.
God is Almighty God! He could have sent any man to die on a Cross and call it good. But where’s the supernatural miracle?
If you don’t believe Jesus is God in the flesh, what is it you believe and where in God's Word does it say that? Even the devil believes in Jesus! But why did He have to die on the Cross? Two other men also died on a Cross next to Him but that didn’t save us from our sins. So what is it you believe if you don’t believe Jesus is God?
The better question is, WHO is it you believe if you don’t believe Jesus is God?
You certainly don’t believe God’s Word … you don’t believe Jesus … and you don’t have a relationship. You have settled on a mere “religion.”
If you choose not to believe that Jesus is God (it's a choice), why are you allowing yourself to be deceived? Why are you putting yourself in that limited box? The “religion” or “church denomination” you claim is not how God’s Word defines Jesus and should never be how you define Him … or your relationship with Him.
We become a child of God, joint heirs with Christ, when we accept His gift and are born-again into His family. We are not a child of God until then, despite what the world will tell you. We are all creations of God, but are not His children until we are born into His family (i.e., spiritual birth). If you don't understand Who Jesus is, you cannot have a heartfelt belief of His gift for you.
Jesus’ mission for His disciples is the same mission He has for us: to introduce Jesus Christ to the lost, broken, and hurting people of this world. We do so by sharing the “gospel”, not a “religion”. We are saved by God's grace. Don’t be a disgrace to grace!
Our job as born-again Christians is to introduce others to JESUS, not “religion” …there’s a huge difference!
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